A1: "Call for peace in Darfur"

It's interesting to watch how the bottom of page one has become the protester's corner of late. Leafy photo of the square + people with passionate views + homemade signs = not much, really, but at least the issues are getting out there. It's like a letter to the editor, but you get a photo too.

Courier editors: The Darfur problem stopped being 'purported' genocide when the US Secretary of State publicly identified it as such. Honest, this isn't just a hippie issue anymore.

A1: "Three new principals at helm of schools"

Not sure why it merits page-one treatment, but Shari Lopatin's piece on a changing of the guard isn't bad. Educators need more props, it's hard work for low pay.

A1: "CV area residents support property tax reform"

Every year people get up in arms about their assessments. I've seen many references to this in the Courier, but I've yet to see any numbers on actual changes in the taxes we pay, and Paula Rhoden's story is no exception. We're left to presume that the taxes go up at the same rate as the assessments, which ain't necessarily so.

There's also a suspiciously extensive description of Prop 13 that leaves out its strong negative effect on California's finances. Can we look forward to a Courier editorial on the evils of property taxes, or perhaps support for the next attempt to foist TABOR (cf here and here) on us via initiative?

A7: "Rep. Groe had drugs, alcohol in system during DUI arrest"

This deeply buried AP report details some legal trouble for one of our local radical rightists. If she's removed, it's unlikely that Lake Havasu will replace her with a Dem, but it's within the bounds of possibility that it'll be someone a little more, shall we say, sober, which would be a good thing.

Cartoon: Amateur

This is just evil.

Talk of the Town: "Make drivers slow down ­ legally"

Jody Knight makes a truthy legalistic case against photo radar enforcement, citing various court judgments, at least one of which (Minnesota) wouldn't appear to apply here. Fine, well, we have an opinion, but the Courier provides no indication of who Jody Knight is or her/his credentials for giving us legal advice.

Editorial: "Contact DOT with your say on Love Field's air service"

The Courier calls us to action on the burning issue of which corporation will be allowed to chow down at the public trough while providing luxury service to rich people. Ack.

I'd have been very happy to put in my two cents, but the DOT site gave me no joy from the Courier's docket description.